Automatic loom shuttle



Marh1,19ss m-.nKLEIN Aam. 3,237,653

AUTOMATIC LOOM SHUTTLE Filed'vAug. 2o. 1934 ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,237,653 AUTOMATIC LOOM SHUTTLE Norman E. Klein and Robert W. McCullough, Spartanburg, S.C., assignors to Deering Milliken Research Corporation, Spartanburg, S.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 390,851 9 Claims. (Cl. 139-125) This invention relates generally to loom shuttles and more particularly to gripper shuttles for automatic high speed looms which employ thread gripper elements.

In certain high speed looms for weaving the filling yarn is carried through the shed by a gripper shuttle so constructed and arranged that an end of the filling yarn is held by the shuttle. An example of a prior art shuttle is shown in U.S. Patent 2,660,201. In looms using this type of shuttle the shuttle receives thread from a feeder element which cooperates with the shuttle to transfer the end of the thread thereto. Then the rear trailing end of the shuttle housing receives a driving impact from a picker to drive the shuttle through the shed from the spool side of the loom to the other side of the loom. In prior art shuttles the shuttle housing at the point of picker impact is relatively thin and easily damaged. This thinness and readiness to damage substantially reduces the service life of the shuttle. Since shuttles of this type are relatively expensive the above-mentioned short service life results in a fairly high expenditure for shuttle replacement.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a gripper shuttle which provides much longer service life.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gripper shuttle which will absorb the picker impact energy for a considerable length of time without damage to the shuttle.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a gripper shuttle which is substantially strengthened on the picker impact or trailing end and in which the gripper spring is inserted through the lead end of the housing, opposite to the point of picker impact end.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become clearly apparent as the specification proceeds to describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top view of an assembled gripper shuttle;

FIGURE 2 is an elevation of the gripper shuttle assembly shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged end view of the gripper shuttle assembly shown in FIGURES 1 and 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a top view of the gripper spring sub-assembly.

Looking now to FIGURES 144 the new and novel gripper shuttle assembly consists of two basic components, namely the housing 12 and the gripper spring 14. The gripper shuttle housing 12 is generally rectangular with two sides 16, with chambered corners and a top 18 and a bottom 20. The picker or impact end 22 of the housing 12 is cast or otherwise formed with flanged portions 24 and 26 extending over and partially closing and reinforcing the picker or impact end of the shuttle housing to provide more surface area to absorb and spread the impact received from the picker. The opposite or lead end 28 of the shuttle housing is open to receive the gripper spring 14. An opening 29 is provided in both the top and bottom of the housing 12 for the purpose of cleaning by an air hose, hydraulic hose or other suitable means to blow out accumulated lint and debris from the shuttle housing.

The gripper spring (FIGURE 4) consists basically of an arcuate, tapered nose portion 30, a yoke portion 32 and arms 34 and 36 which culminate into jaws ice 38 which are normally closed under the tension of the arms 34 and 36. The yoke portion 32, arms 34 and 36 and the jaws 38 are formed from a tough resilient material such as spring steel and are preferably integral with the tapered arcuate nose portion 30.

As shown in FIGURES 1-3 the gripper spring 14 is inserted in the open lead end 28 of the shuttle housing and projected forward toward the picker or trailing end of the housing until the base 40 of the arcuate nose portion 30 abuts the gripper housing 12 and the jaws 38 are substantially in line with the flange portions 24 and 26. The yoke portion 32 of the gripper spring 14 substantially fills the interior of the gripper housing 12 and the gripper spring is secured into the housing by one or more rivets 42 inserted through the housing 12 and the yoke portion. Openings 44 and 46 are provided in the top and bottom of the gripper housing to permit the introduction of a jaw actuating member from the loom to bear against the arms 34 and 36 to open the jaws 38 of the spring 14 for the insertion of the lill yarn. Openings 48 and 50 are also provided in the top and bottom of the gripper housing 12 to allow the till yarn from the loom to be inserted between the jaws 38 of the gripper spring 14.

It can readily be seen that we have provided an improved gripper shuttle, the housing part of which can be formed by extrusion, broaching or precision casting methods, and a spring section which can be formed by forging, or casting-sintering methods to reduce cost and is readily assembled, easily cleaned and will absorb considerable more impact from the picker without damage to the shuttle housing. The use of the herein disclosed gripper shuttle will provide a mill operator, presently using the prior art shuttles, considerable savings due to the ruged construction and longer service life of our improved shuttle. Moreover, the impact on the shuttle housing is transmitted therethrough to the back side of the gripper spring base 40 alleviating shear action on the rivets. The riveted joint will therefore remain tight.

Although we have described in detail the preferred embodiment of our invention, we contemplate that many changes may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of our invention, and we desire to be limited only by the claims.

That which is claimed is:

1. A shuttle for looms comprising a housing have an open lead end and an open trailing end, a gripper spring in said housing, said gripper spring having an arcuate nose portion and a yoke portion, said arcuate nose portion having a base portion abutting said open lead end of said housing, said yoke portion being connected to said nose portion and having spaced arms extending toward said trailing end of said housing, said spaced arms culmihating in jaws adjacent said trailing end of said housing, and flange means connected to said housing and extending over and partially closing said open trailing and to provide additional surface area to distribute the impact of the picker thereon.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said flange means is integral with said housing.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said arcuate nose portion is integral with said yoke portion.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said nose portion is wider and thicker than said yoke portion to provide a base portion to abut said housing.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein said flange means is integral with said housing.

6. A loom shuttle comprising an elongated housing having generally parallel top and bottom portions, said housing having open trailing and lead ends, said housing having side portions extending between said top and bottom portions, a gripper spring in said housing abutting 3 4 said lead end,fsaid gripper spring having a yoke portion 8. The structure of claim 7 wherein said nose portion with spaced arms extending toward said trailing end and is greater in width and thickness than said yoke portion. culminating in jaws adjacent said trailing end, and flange 9. The structure of claim 8 wherein said nose portion means connected to said Aside portions substantially noris integral with said yoke portion. mal to said top and bottom portions and partially/'closing 5 said open trailing end to provide additional surface area References Cited by the Examiner to distribute the impact of a picker thereon. UNITED STATES PATENTS 7.1 The structure of claim 6 wherein said gripper spring includes an arcuate nose portion connected to said yoke FDrratshl portion, said yoke portion-being within said housing and 10 n Ze sald nose portion abutting said housing. DONALD W` PARKER, Primary Emmi-nen 

1. A SHUTTLE FOR LOOMS COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVE AN OPEN LEAD END AND AN OPEN TRAILING END, A GRIPPER SPRING IN SAID HOUSING, SAID GRIPPER SPRING HAVING AN ARCUATE NOSE PORTION AND A YOKE PORTION, SAID ARCUATE NOSE PORTION HAVING A BASE PORTION ABUTTING SAID OPEN LEAD END OF SAID HOUSING, SAID YOKE PORTION BEING CONNECTED TO SAID NOSE PORTION AND HAVING SPACED ARMS EXTENDING TOWARD SAID TRAILING END OF SAID HOUSING, SAID SPACED ARMS CULMINATING IN JAWS ADJACENT SAID TRAILING END OF SAID HOUSING, AND FLANGE MEANS CONECTED TO SAID HOUSING AND EXTENDING OVER AND PARTIALLY CLOSING SAID OPEN TRAILING AND TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SURFACE AREA TO DISTRIBUTE THE IMPACT OF THE PICKER THEREON. 